Green Pawpaw (Papaya) Salad With Seafood

Name: Green Pawpaw (Papaya) Salad With Seafood
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 51 min
Yield: 4-6 serving(s)
Ingredients: 250 g green prawns, peeled and deveined; 250 g squid, tubes split, and scraped inside; 1 small green pawpaw, peeled, deseeded and grated (you need 1 cup of grated pawpaw, I grate mine in the food processor); 6 shallots, finely sliced (use golden or red shallots); 1 tablespoon lemongrass, crushed and white part finely chopped; 1 tablespoon kaffir lime leaf, fresh, centre veins removed, rolled, then very finely sliced; 1/4 cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped (cilantro); 1/4 cup mint, leaves only, stems removed and roughly chopped; 1/4 cup salad dressing (see recipe for Hot and Sour Dressing below); 2 tablespoons peanuts, roasted in a dry pan then crushed; 2 tablespoons crispy shallots (buy these in a jar from an Asian food store); 3 small red chilies, deseeded (use 4 if you want it hotter); 8 garlic cloves, chopped finely; 8 tablespoons lime juice, fresh; 4 teaspoons palm sugar (or to taste); 3 -4 tablespoons fish sauce (to taste, you want a balance of hot, sour, sweet and salty so adjust ingredients as required)

⏱ 51 mins 🍽 4-6 serving(s) 🏷 Papaya

This vibrant Thai salad features prawns and tender squid tossed with crisp green pawpaw, fresh herbs, and a zesty hot and sour dressing. The green pawpaw provides a wonderful texture that absorbs the flavours of the dressing beautifully. The seafood is briefly poached in an aromatic broth to ensure it stays succulent. Finished with a sprinkle of crushed peanuts and crispy shallots, it's a perfect balance of hot, sour, sweet, and salty flavours. This recipe makes 4-6 servings.

Ingredients

250 g green prawns, peeled and deveined
250 g squid, tubes split, and scraped inside
1 small green pawpaw, peeled, deseeded and grated (you need 1 cup of grated pawpaw, I grate mine in the food processor)
6 shallots, finely sliced (use golden or red shallots)
1 tablespoon lemongrass, crushed and white part finely chopped
1 tablespoon kaffir lime leaf, fresh, centre veins removed, rolled, then very finely sliced
1/4 cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped (cilantro)
1/4 cup mint, leaves only, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/4 cup salad dressing (see recipe for Hot and Sour Dressing below)
2 tablespoons peanuts, roasted in a dry pan then crushed
2 tablespoons crispy shallots (buy these in a jar from an Asian food store)
3 small red chilies, deseeded (use 4 if you want it hotter)
8 garlic cloves, chopped finely
8 tablespoons lime juice, fresh
4 teaspoons palm sugar (or to taste)
3 -4 tablespoons fish sauce (to taste, you want a balance of hot, sour, sweet and salty so adjust ingredients as required)

Method

Prepare all ingredients as listed, reserving any garlic, shallot, coriander root, lemongrass, mint and coriander stalk trimmings, along with a couple of spare kaffir lime leaves, to flavour the seafood cooking water.
Create the dressing next, allowing it to rest for at least 15 minutes so the flavours can develop.
For the dressing, combine all its ingredients and taste, adjusting to achieve a good balance of hot, sour, sweet, and salty notes.
Move on to preparing the seafood for cooking.
With a sharp knife, score the inside of the squid tubes diagonally, then score again in the opposite direction to create a diamond pattern.
Slice the squid tubes into roughly four triangle-shaped pieces each.
Place a medium bowl of ice cold water with ice cubes next to your stove.
Fill a large pot with water, adding the reserved herb trimmings and a couple of tablespoons of salt.
Bring the water to a rolling boil and cook the seafood in small batches, boiling prawns for about a minute and squid for about 30 seconds.
Remove the cooked seafood and immediately submerge it in the iced water to stop the cooking.
Once the seafood is completely cold, you can assemble the salad.
In a large bowl, combine the grated pawpaw, sliced shallots, coriander, mint, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, seafood, and 1/4 cup of the prepared dressing.
To serve, transfer the salad to a plate, arranging most of the seafood on top, then finish with a sprinkle of crushed peanuts and crispy shallots.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium1570100 mg

Recipe details

CategoryPapaya

AuthorKookaburra